Restaurant review: The lure is seafood at Ocean in Easton

The offerings are American cuisine, with a good dose of seafood options.

It may be less than a mile from the Delaware River, but it's the lure of the deep blue sea that pulls you in at Ocean in Easton.

The Ferry Street restaurant, which recently redid its downstairs lounge to add seating for 30 and extended its hours to increase its late-night presence, has a delightfully marine feel reflected in its decor and its menu. It's stylish comfort from top to bottom.

The offerings are American cuisine, with a good dose of seafood options. The bar and lounge menu leans more casual with meatballs, flatbread pizza, oysters and wings; the dining menu is slightly more elegant but no less comforting.

Setting and decor: Ocean is the name and oceanic is the theme. The casual dining area feels like an underwater grotto. Sea green glass trims the walls and even some of the dark wood tables. A wave motif is carried out through gently curving ceiling tiles, textured glass wall dividers and even the upholstery pattern in the curved booths

Stepping downstairs to the newly renovated lounge, meanwhile, is like going below decks on an 18th-century sailing vessel. Large mirrors feel like windows onto the sea, and a wall full of partly melted wax candles create warm ambience. Small decorative touches, such as glass lanterns and coral, add to the nautical feel.

On a recent midweek evening, Ocean drew a small but steady stream of couples and small groups for dining, and some lively bar conversation.

Entrees: The options are a mix of the fancy and the familiar. There's fig and mascarpone ravioli in a truffled honey butter, the porcini-crusted cod, or the Ocean Burger with blue cheese, bacon and fried egg to whet your appetite. This evening I tried the veal bolognese ($18.50), a rich meaty sauce over thick homemade pappardelle noodles and topped with a heavy sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. It needed a little more seasoning to make it a standout. My companion chose the rare seared ahi tuna ($25), which was velvety and soft, with pepper on the edges. The tuna was accompanied by a sweet, crispy udon cake flavored with sesame.

Sides: The small plates offered at Ocean are almost enough to make a meal — and certainly difficult to decide among. Temptations include lobster pierogies, meatballs, baked brie and the Ocean salad with candied peanuts, oranges and blue cheese. I gave in to the lobster mac and cheese ($14.50), an incredible combination of a creamy gruyere sauce, orzo and large chunks of lobster meat, served in a cast iron ramekin. The sauce was smooth and peppery, and the chef did not stint on the lobster. My companion chose the soup of the day, a mussel and chorizo chowder ($8). The generously portioned chowder was a lovely golden hue, tinted with tomato and saffron, and full of hearty bites.

Dessert: Our waitress rattled off a delicious-sounding dessert menu, including a chocolate creme brûlée with dark cherries and a chocolate-chip cheesecake in an egg roll. In the end, we split a sinful fudgy brownie with salted caramel ice cream ($8). The cool caramel was the perfect foil for the rich, warm chocolate, and a charming end to the meal.

Service: The service was excellent and extremely forthcoming. Our waitress was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful with questions about the restaurant. When we were curious about some flavors, our server graciously asked the chef for more details. Reservations were made online easily.

The bottom line: Beautiful decor and stylish food make Ocean a comfortable choice for a date night or dinner with friends. Look to the renovated lounge for late-night flair. Dinner for two costs $78.44

Andromeda L. Weissman is a freelance restaurant reviewer for Go Guide. Weissman attempts to remain anonymous during restaurant visits. All meals are paid for by The Morning Call. jodi.duckett@mcall.com 610-820-6704